


Habits

by skyhill, vavfree



Category: The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Recreational Drug Use, So much angst, Stoner Newt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 11:11:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4562418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyhill/pseuds/skyhill, https://archiveofourown.org/users/vavfree/pseuds/vavfree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hi Newt! How was your summer, dude? I haven’t seen you since your party.” Thomas nearly yells, way too excitedly for this early in the morning. </p><p>Newt doesn't really know how to answer that question seeing as it has been one of the worst summers of his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Habits

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to my b Tay (or nnnewt on tumblr) for helping me write this, and who will help me continue to write it. We came up with this idea together so I had to give her a little credit. There's plenty more to come so I hope you all enjoy.

It was the first time Newt had celebrated a birthday since he moved to America. He had never even told anyone when his birthday was, seeing as there was no one important enough to tell. Knowing he didn't deserve that extra attention, he had always just kept quiet about it. It wasn't until his friend Minho, who hadn't asked before this year, insisted on throwing him the best party ever. If Minho considered a house full of people he only kind of knew getting drunk off their faces the “best party ever”, he’d roll with it. 

The party was crowded, sweaty, and loud enough that Newt couldn't hear his own thoughts. He hadn't seen Minho for at least an hour. He had promised to stay in the exact same spot and wait for him to use the bathroom, yet his friend was gone when he came back out. With all of the people in Minho’s fairly big house, there was no way of finding him again with ease. Newt was starting to feel a little panicked, wondering where his friend had gone off to. Squeezing through the crowd and trying not to spill his nearly untouched drink, he heard a faint call of his name. At first he just thought it was another passing person wishing him a happy birthday. Newt didn't know where it was coming from or if he really even heard it at all. He spun around to see if he could spot anyone he recognized. Facing the stairs in the front hall, he saw Minho, waving from the top step with a huge grin on his face. The nervous feeling in his chest instantly vanished, having finally located his best friend. 

“Come here, birthday boy!” Minho yelled from across the room.

Newt smiled back at the boy, nodding to save his breath. Excusing himself to several people who try to stop and talk, he made his way up to Minho. 

“Where did you go earlier, you shank! You left me!” Newt said with a joking tone as they walk further up the stairs. 

Minho turned around and placed his hands on Newt’s shoulders, “Someone was being an asshole and I had to kick them out! There are no assholes allowed at the best party ever, you know that!” 

Newt grinned at this, knowing Minho was having fun hosting his party. He was distracted by a noise behind him until he felt a hand lace with his and tug him forward. They get gradually farther away from the buzz of the people until Minho’s bedroom door is muffling it completely. 

“What’re we doing, Min?” Newt questioned while sitting down on the boy’s bed. 

This room was familiar and comforting, smelling like Minho’s cologne and laundry rather than the beer and sweat of downstairs. 

“I haven’t given you your gift yet, I didn't want to forget before we all got too drunk.” Minho said while sitting down close beside Newt. The smell of alcohol enters his nose, but it isn't entirely unpleasant. 

“You got me a gift? The best party ever wasn't enough for you?” 

Minho reached under his bed and brought out a small wrapped box. It looked like it was wrapped in a hurry, but that didn't matter to Newt. 

“It’s nothing big, trust me. Don’t get your hopes up for the newest version of the iPhone or something, I don’t like you that much.” He says as he hands the package over. 

Newt holds on to the gift, pondering what it could possibly be. He didn't get very many gifts, so he knew whatever Minho would be giving him, he would love. 

Not realizing how long he had been staring at it, Minho gives him a little nudge. 

“Cmon dude, open it already! The anticipation is killing me.” 

He snaps out of his daze and tears at the paper. It reveals a plain box, with a logo of the smoke shop in their town. Newt wrinkles his forehead and gives Minho a look. His friend looks like he’s about to explode if the opening of the box doesn't happen any quicker. 

He opens the top and sees a glass pipe surrounded by Styrofoam. It looked clear with a tinge of pink, but once he lifted it out of the box he couldn't hold back his laughter. 

“A Hello Kitty pipe, Minho? Really?” Newt said while turning it around in his hands, looking at the cat face on the bowl of the pipe. 

“I needed to make sure you remembered who it was from! Now every time you smoke out of Hello Kitty’s head, you’ll think of me.”

“Isn't that bloody charming. Thank you though, this seems like a nice pipe regardless of whose face is on it.” 

“Would it be okay if we smoked tonight? I know I told you I didn't like smoking, but I really just haven’t tried it before. I've always been too chicken shit to try it.” Minho said, rubbing the back of his head and chuckling. 

“Are you sure you want your first time smoking to be with me?” 

“I wouldn't want to lose my weed virginity with anyone else but you, babe.”

Newt tries to hide his reddening face at Minho’s comment by standing up and reaching into his pocket. He took out his wallet, reaching into one of the pouches to pull out a small bag of weed. Minho immediately stopped him.

“No, not here.” he said, his hand wrapping around Newt’s wrist. “Let’s go outside. To the park or something.”

••••

3 months later

The first day back at school was always way too hot in America. Starting in the middle of august was always a weird concept to Newt, who stood outside of the school, sweating and smoking a cigarette. He’s wearing a new pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt, not expecting it to still be this hot by the time the new semester started. His hair stuck to his forehead and he is somewhat glad he has no friends to see him in the state he is in. There’s a steady trickle of people making their way into the school, all dressed up in what seems like their best clothes. There are some younger kids that look terrified to be there, but Newt knows that after the first couple days they’ll realize how boring high school really is. 

After taking another drag of his cigarette, Newt feels a tap on his back. He turns around to see Thomas, a boy who was in his physics class last year. He has a goofy grin on his face, seeming like he is waiting for Newt to greet him. Newt hardly knows who this guy is, and only really talked to him when he needed to know what he missed in class. The blonde just raises his eyebrows towards Thomas, waiting for him to talk first. 

“Hi Newt! How was your summer, dude? I haven’t seen you since your party.” Thomas nearly yells, way too excitedly for this early in the morning. 

Newt doesn't really know how to answer that question seeing as it has been one of the worst summers of his life. The mention of his party gives him a dull ache in his chest, and he just isn't in the mood to talk about it. 

“It was alright.” Newt says with an unimpressed tone. 

Newt’s tone doesn't stop Thomas from continuing the one sided conversation, describing the extent of his summer in excruciatingly long details. After attempting to listen for a while, Newt zoned out and gazed past the other boys shoulder. A group of people were walking towards the school, chatting with each other and laughing. Unfortunately, one of the boys in the group was the person Newt was trying his hardest to avoid. Minho was dressed like he usually was, in basketball shorts and a tank top. He usually tried to show off the muscles he works so hard to keep up, but it’s not like Newt has noticed. 

Newt feels that ache in his chest again, wishing things didn't end like they had. He used to be the one who would be walking beside Minho into school, listening to his quick witted jokes and stupid pick up lines. Feeling himself fill up with self hatred for what happened in between him and his used-to-be best friend, he takes another drag of his cigarette.

Thomas turns around to see what Newt had been staring at, and spots Minho. His eyes widen and he gets that same goofy grin that had been plastered there when he approached Newt.

“Hey Minho! Long time no see, bro! I was just telling Newt I haven’t seen him since the party at your house a couple months back.” Thomas says to Minho from a distance away. 

Minho looks at Newt, with a face Newt can’t really seem to read. He knows there’s something hiding underneath it, but Minho has always been pretty good at keeping a poker face. 

“Yeah, Thomas. Me neither.”


End file.
